This is quite a week. November 11 is Remembrance Day in Canada. We stop to remember the men and women who fought in wars in order to ensure we have our freedom. Freedom is not free and many paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Of course, today, November 8 is the US Presidential election. This is democracy in action and the very thing soldiers fought and continue to fight, to preserve.
Tying together the two thoughts above is part of why so many people are very troubled by Donald Trump refusing to say he will accept the election results, even if he doesn’t win. This is not how it works in a democracy. This is not what the troops fought and continue to fight for.
The US election has been hard fought with a lot of ugliness. Even in Canada people have been debating the candidates with an intensity and nastiness that has been unprecedented. However, part of being a democracy means that you come together after a nasty fight and celebrate the fact that you have the right to vote and be grateful for the sacrifices that have been made so you can continue to do so.
Democracy is great. It is does not need to be made great again, it simply needs to be respected.
Lest we forget.
Inga B. Andriessen JD